Whip fan

The whip fan (Eunicella albicans), also called the flagellar sea fan, is a species of gorgonian sea fan in the family Gorgoniidae.

Whip fan
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Alcyonacea
Family: Gorgoniidae
Genus: Eunicella
Species:
E. albicans
Binomial name
Eunicella albicans
(Kolliker, 1865)[1]

Description

This fan is orange and has flexible whip-like branches. It may grow up to 70 cm tall and have branches of 0.3 to 0.5 cm wide.[2][3]

Distribution

This sea fan is found only around the South African coast from the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth in 10–30 m of water. It is endemic to this region.

Ecology

This sea fan is preyed upon by the whip fan nudibranch, Tritonia nilsodhneri, which closely resembles the feeding fan.

References
  1. http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213054 accessed 25 July 2013
  2. Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa ISBN 978-1-77007-772-0
  3. Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9
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